Seed-corn drier.



R. F. PLUMB.

SEED CORN DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5. I916.

1,240,365. Patemedse t. 18,1917.

wanna/t,

ROBERT F. PLUMB, OF TENNANT, IOWA.

SEED-CORN DRIER.

T0 allwhom it'may concern:

lie itknown that I, ROBERT F. PLUMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tennant, in the county ofShelby and'State of Iowa, have invented certain=new and useful Improvements in Seed-Corn Driers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to racks or hangers especially adapted for sustaining a plurality of cars of corn in spaced relation to' each other, to facilitate the perfect drying and preservation thereof which is essential in securing high germinative capability, as where the corn is to be used for seeding purposes. It is the object of my invention to provide a simple, eflicient and'inexpensive device for the above purpose, wherein the sustaining means are so arranged thatthe ears of corn may be quickly and conveniently placed thereon, and having means by which the filled hanger may be suspended in such proximity to others as to fully utilize-the space within a drying shedor other protective inclosure. A further object of my invention is to provide a seed corn rack or hanger such that the individual ears may each have an identifying mark to facilitate the recording of germination tests thereon.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing two racks or hangers embodying my invention, one being filled and the other unfilled, in connection with a part of a support on which the racks are suspended, Fig. :2 is a perspective view of a part of one of the racks in filling position, Fig. 3 is a detail section through the hinge on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. i, and Fig. 4 is a detail bottom view of the hinge.

In carrying out my invention I employ for each rack or hanger two wooden strips or slats 5 which are connected to each other at one end by means of a hinge 6 so that they may be folded together back-to-back as shown in Fig. 1, or extended into longitudinal alinement with each other as shown in Fig. 2. The pintle of the hinge 6 comprises the end-portions 7 of a wire 8 which forms a U-bend or loop extending up from the hinge as shown clearly in Fig. 3. For inserting the pintle-forming ends 7 the loop is spread out laterally as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The slats 5 are each provided on one side thereof with a plurality of metal pins 9, preferably formed by ordinary wire-nails Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed-February 15, 1916. Serial No. 78,529.

driven through the slats from the back thereof, holes being drilled through the slats slightly smaller than the nails, so that the latterwillhiot split the wood but will be firmly held therein. On each slat said pins 9 are preferably arranged in two rows adjacent respectively to the edges of the slat, the several pins of the two rows being in alternating orstaggered lateral relation to each other, so that the distance from each pin to the next adjacent ones is slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the ears of corn.

When the rack is to be filled it is opened out so that the two slats thereof are end-toend, and the same are then laid out horizontally upon a floor, table or other support, with the pins 9 of both slats extending upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. The corn may then be placed upon the pins very easily and quickly by grasping the ears A so that the large ends or butts thereof are downward, then striking down with each ear onto one of the pins, so that the latter penetrates the end of the cob and holds the ear so that it extends perpendicularly to the slat. After ears of corn have been thus placed on all of the pins of the rack, it is lifted up by means of the wire loop 8, the hinge permitting the slats to swing down to a vertical position with the pins 9 and ears A extending out horizontally from the opposite sides thereof, and the rack is then hung onto a suitable support so as to be suspended therefrom. Preferably the drying shed, or like protective inclosure for the corn, is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending beams 10, and in the sides of these beams pins or nails 11 are provided at suitable intervals so that the racks may be hung thereon as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that by suitable lateral spacing of the beams 10, and appropriate longitudinal spacing of the pins 11 along the beams, all of the space within the drying shed may be fully utilized, and each ear of the corn securely held and sustained in spaced relation to the others, so that air may circulate freely around it and ideal drying and preserving conditions therefor be maintained. It will also be seen that, by the described construction of the racks. there is space on the slats adjoining each of thepins 9 on which numbers or other identifying designations may be marked, while each rack may also have marked. thereon a nu'm.

her or the like referring to the same as a, Whole; and that by the use of such identifying numbers, or the like, the recording of germination tests of the seed-corn may be greatly facilitated.

Now, having described my invention,-

What I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A seed-corn drying rack comprising a pair of slats each having a plurality of spaced pins projecting from one of the sides thereof, and a hinge connecting adjacent ends of the slats so that the same are movable from a longitudinally-alined position at Which the pins of both slats extend in the same direction to a folded position at Which the slats are parallel and the pins extend in opposite directions.

2. A sexed-corn drying rack comprising a pair of slats, a plurality of spaced pins projecting from one side of each of the slats, a hinge connecting adjacentends of the slats so that the same are movable from a longitudinally-alined position at which the pins of both slats extend in the same direction to a folded position at Which the pins of the respective slats extend in opposite directions, and a loop integral with the hingepintle for supporting the device in a suspended position.

ROBERT F. PLUMB.

copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

